March 4, 2021
Two super Group 1 races, the two highest rated sprinters in world racing and a crack field of two-year-olds in a race that will define favouritism for the iconic Longines Golden Slipper.
Welcome to just some of the highlights at Royal Randwick this Saturday as the Australian Turf Club hosts a spectacular day of racing ahead of the official launch of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
The Group 1 $1 million Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas and Group 1 $500,000 Heineken Canterbury Stakes take centre stage on Saturday on a nine-race card packed with Group and blacktype action.
All eyes will focus early on the program for the Group 2 $300,000 UNSW Todman Stakes and Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Reisling Stakes – key qualifying races for the Longines Golden Slipper on 20 March at Rosehill Gardens.
The UNSW Todman Stakes has attracted the strongest two-year-old race of the year with the three ruling TAB favourites in the Longines Golden Slipper – Profiteer, Stay Inside and Remarque – set to clash.
The full market for the Longines Golden Slipper is available here.
Australian Turf Club Executive General Manager Racing and Wagering James Ross said Saturday’s Randwick Guineas meeting was the strongest on this weekend in many years.
“The quality of horses showcased on Saturday is world-class as we prepare to launch one of the most exciting Sydney Racing Carnivals in recent years,’’ Mr Ross said.
“The UNSW Todman Stakes promises a fantastic clash between three of Australia’s very best colts just two weeks before the Longines Golden Slipper.
“And in separate races we have Nature Strip and Bivouac – the two highest rated sprinters in world racing, all adding to a stellar card of racing.
“It will also be fantastic to see New Zealand’s best three-year-old, rising star Aegon who takes on a quality field in the Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas.’’
The unbeaten Kiwi galloper Aegon, from the master stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and ridden by Hugh Bowman, is the $2.30 TAB favourite in the Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas.
Mounga ($6.50 TAB) for in-form jockey Tommy Berry would give young Sydney trainer Annabel Neasham a maiden Group 1 win.
The third favourite Peltzer ($7.50 TAB) is unbeaten at Royal Randwick for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and will be ridden by Tim Clark.
Godolphin’s glamour sprinter Bivouac is an early $2.90 TAB favourite in the Heineken Canterbury Stakes for trainer James Cummings and jockey Glen Boss.
His stablemate and mare Savatiano is a $4.40 second favourite for jockey Hugh Bowman, looking for his first win in the race.
Savatiano ran second in last year’s Canterbury Stakes.
In the highly-anticipated UNSW Todman Stakes, three big guns are all close in betting.
Profiteer (Hugh Bowman and trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent) is at $2.70 TAB, ahead of Stay Inside for Richard and Michael Freedman and James McDonald ($3.20 TAB) and Remarque (Hawkes Racing and Tommy Berry) at $3.40 TAB.
Each of the three colts are unbeaten in their careers.
Colts Pierro (2012), Vancouver (2015) and Farnan (2020) all took out the Todman Stakes before going on to win the Longines Golden Slipper.
In the fillies two-year-old race, the Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Stakes, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Swift Witness (jockey Tim Clark) is an early $4.20 TAB favourite in a wide-open field.
Overreach (2013) and Estijaab (2018) completed the Reisling/Slipper double whilst Mossfun (2014) and She Will Reign (2017) ran second in the Resiling before winning the Longines Golden Slipper.
The Royal Randwick track was rated a Good 4 on Thursday with a full track report with Racecourse Manager Michael Wood available here.
Royal Randwick features free parking in the infield from the High Street entrance as well as full public transport services including light rail directly adjacent to the racecourse.
For all ticketing, racing and general information including tickets for the upcoming Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival go to theraces.com.au